Penn Color, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, a provider of color and additive concentrates, masterbatches, pigment dispersions and engineered coatings, has introduced UV Enhancer, a new UV stabilizer formulation that – when added to PVC compound and extruded profiles – extends the weathering performance. As trends toward darker colors in building and construction push the limits of PVC formulations, adding UV Enhancer to window and fence profiles can increase weathering performance up to 60%.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a high-strength thermoplastic material used in many applications, especially building and construction. It is used widely for its availability, light weight, weathering performance, fire-resistance and recyclability.
Enhancing the weathering of PVC profiles, and thus extending product lifetime, is done with the addition of specially formulated pigments and other additives, such as TiO2. Most PVC profile formulations contain 5 to 10% TiO2 by weight, protecting the PVC from discoloration and loss of impact strength over time. Ladder studies have shown that adding Penn Color’s UV Enhancer to PVC formulations enables the reduction of TiO2 with an increase in weathering performance of up to 60%.
The UV Enhancer was developed to improve the weathering performance of PVC profiles for windows and fencing. The development of this additive enables the continued use of PVC as the industry trends toward darker colors, without having to switch to higher priced alternative compounds.
For more information, visit www.penncolor.com.
